U.S. Debt Crisis to Teach Your Kids About Finance

August 21, 2011

Personal Finance for Kids

Thank you to Capability:Mom for sending me this great article from the New York Times. It’s chock full of resources to take advantage of our U.S. Debt Crisis as a teachable moment for your children. Someone should be learning something valuable during this crisis and I’m not betting on our politicians!

The National Debt and the Debt Ceiling

First things first: What is the national debt? What is the so-called debt ceiling? What measure did Congress pass? Use these articles and multimedia to get oriented.

Times Topics: National Debt
An index of Times articles and multimedia about the national debt and the debt ceiling; includes a helpful Times-written overview.

Comparing Deficit-Reduction Plans
This chart breaks down the proposals that were being made by leaders in Washington, including President Obama and Representative John A. Boehner, the speaker of the House. The top section explores how the final compromise would work.

The Credit Downgrade

Once you’ve got the national debt and the debt ceiling under your proverbial belt, the next topic to tackle is the downgrade of the United States credit rating by Standard & Poor’s. What does that mean? Use these Times resources to find out more.